Thomas Kinkade died from drug and alcohol overdose

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Artist Thomas Kinkade died from an accidental overdose of alcohol and prescription tranquilizers.

The the self-described "Painter of Light" died in early April due to a combination of ethanol and Diazepam intoxication, or in common terms, alcohol and Valium, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office said Tuesday according to the Associated Press.

Before his death, the 54-year-old Kinkade produced sentimental landscapes that were hated by critics and beloved by many. He sold more art than almost anyone through his nationwide chain of stores. Kinkade, who was a conservative and a Christian, said his paintings were messages of God's love. »Read Full Blog Post

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Prescription Drugs have robbed far too many people of their dignity and lives. Big Pharma is the REAL drug cartel in North America. Their overmedicating of the American public through obscene advertising leads to nearly 100,000 deaths per year! Prescription drugs are more dangerous than any felony drug substance in the world including heroin, cocaine and even alcohol combined. Read about this issue and what’s killing people at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/07/illustration-friday-800-milligrams.html

A few months ago, an article about "depression" and it's new best friend "Bi-polar" explained how the AMA believes 40% of the US population suffers from clinical "depression". Imagine 40% of the US handing over $150 a month for medications. Doctors just can't write the scrips fasts enough.

I was not a fan of Kinkade's work, but he did have a unique talent. I will never understand the relentless criticism of this man. I have never witnessed anything else like it in the art community and it really did go too far. I am not surprised that it was a factor in his addiction/suicide.

So you are saying it is fair game to judge him on his faith, not his talent? I'm not sure that little art history degree most critics hold entitles them to make theological judgments. Besides, Kinkade was hardly the first artist or businessman to use his faith to make money.

He used faith to sell his work, just like that dang Michelangelo! Just kidding, Ninja Turtles have nothing to do with this. I liked some of his stuff and did not like some of his stuff. I find the marketing himself as a Christian did become a little tiresome. However, the critics who used that as a broad brush against him seemed a bit over the top. He had some talent.

Using Jesus to sell or not to sell his work did not matter. Most of it was mass produced garbage that he would then make a few small brush strokes on it and call it original art. The art community hated him because he had no original talent.

Actually, I think the art community hated him because for a while he made some real money. As for the mass production of his work, clearly you have never heard of signed and numbered prints, or remarquing prints. You also must never have heard of Edwin Hopper, Andrew Wyeth, Andy Warhol and a cast of thousands whose work also is widely distributed. The fact of the matter is that art critics were relentless in their criticism because he had the nerve to wear his faith on his sleeve -- and it was a faith they didn't agree with. That's just wrong.

I never heard of him until he croaked. Then when I saw his 'art', I laughed. I didn't know until now that Jesus comes into the picture and that it was mass produced by assistants. His 'art' reminds me of Hallmark Xmas cards. Kind of kitschy. Sorry he died partying with his babe. Maybe viagra was involved too.

Hmmmm. Unlike most Godless critics who rot away with AIDS or "simper" themselves to death over being too cute by half in their jealous diatribes, sparked by having NO "original talent" themselves, either in painting OR journalism?

BTW. Elvis died of an overdose, too. Does that mean HE didn't have an "original talent"? Art criticism, like the literary criticism I am schooled in, are nothing more than pretentious academic parlor games, played by those who lack the talent to create works good enough to be "criticized" by people like themselves.

Just a guess, but like quite a few other "Artist", they can believe only so much of their own schlock before it gets to them. He was turning into the Elvis of commercial mass produced "Art". I know Art. Stop by and see my poster decoupage collection. It's only second to my Black Velvet gallery.

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